Jungkook was talking agitatedly on the phone with Yoongi when Kai stepped into the house. "Hyung he just got back, sorry for bothering you. yeah, thanks. I will let him know." He ended the call before turning to face Kai. "What the hell happened to you? Where were you? I've called you like over a hundred times, do you have any idea how scared i was?" The words dragged out of him in a furious/concerned tone. "Stop exaggerating Kook, it was only 30 times" Kai said walking towards the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. He knew Jungkook was worried about him and he really appreciated it. "What happened Kai. Talk to me please." Jungkook asked walking to the kitchen to join his friend. "I was really worried" he placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. Kai sighed. He didn’t want to talk about it but he wasn’t going to get that choice. Jungkook deserved the truth. He’d been here in the house worrying about Kai, doing his best to look for him.  He placed the bottle down “I’m fine Kook. My Dad set an alliance for me" Kai told him, toeing off his shoes. He wiggled his toes. There was sand between his toes and he really wanted a shower before he crawled into bed. “Oh,” Jungkook said softly. All his anger melted away and a moment later, Kai was enveloped in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Kai, I Know it must have been hard on you .” Kai patted his friend's on the back awkwardly, his whole body ached. He was gross, sandy and in need of a shower. Hugging wasn’t very high up his list of priorities at the moment. He eased Jungkook away from him gently. “Yeah, it ,” he agreed. It was bigger than that, more important than that, but Kai couldn’t get the words out. They stuck in his throat. Abruptly, mind all over the place, Kai blurted out, “Do you believe in mermaids?” Jungkook blinked at him unsurely, then cocked his head. His hair falling messily against his brows which he brushed away.  “Uh well, that’s—I don’t hear those kinds of questions everyday,” came the answer,  Jungkook leaned against the counter, crowding it with his long limbed, “Mermaids? Well, I’ve never seen one, but I’ve also never seen air and I know it exists, so...I guess I don’t rule it out. You’re a believer?” he asked staring at Kai intensely. "No, I just think I had a vivid dream about one" he said placing his hands on the counter. Jungkook nodded in understanding. He opened his mouth but stopped when the door bell rang. "I will get the door" Jungkook said before walking towards the entrance. "Is he home? Did something happened to him, is he even alive?" Kai heard his sister's frantic voice. Jungkook opened the door wide open and gesture to where Kai was still stood in the kitchen. She hurried inside and stopped only when she's in front her brother. She stared at him without blinking as if it's the first time she was seeing him. Then she pulled him into her arms. "Don't do that ever again, you scared the out of me you little jerk" she tightened her hold. "Do you have any idea how worried i was? Dad told me about the arranged marriage– I had to abandon the meeting to rush back here." Kai chuckled, holding his sister firmly.
"Welcome back noona, how's Italy?" She slapped his back before pulling away.
"You brat, you're asking about Italy? When I was going crazy, running to the airport like a mad woman." Kai pursed his lips and she pinched his cheeks with both hands. "Aigoo, you cute little boy," she cooed. Kai swatted her hands. Giggling when she captured his cheeks again. "Noona stop" he said between laughter. She smiled tenderly as she dragged him to the living room. "Sit." "Welcome back noona!" Jungkook hollered, making his way up the stairs, to give the Kim siblings a moment to themselves. "Thanks Kook" she called after him, before turning to face her brother." Talk." Kai looked at her, hands going to push his hair backwards, it was sticky, he really needed a shower."Dad fixed an alliance. You knew that already." "How are you handling it?" Taeyeon's words were flat and cautious, testing the waters with what she said. "I drank a lot of whiskey and almost drowned" Her eyes widened."What? How? What happened?" Kai sighed , before narrating everything that happened, from how his Dad broke the news to how he got mad and almost drank himself to death, to how he ended up being saved by Sehun. "I am so sorry Nini, I wish I could make things better." She pulled him into her arms for the second time. "I can't believe I almost lost you" she held him tightly. "You know you can convince Dad if you really despise this marriage so much." Kai pulled back to look at her face."And how do propose I do that?" "He loves you Kai, he spoiled you to the core, I believe if you show him you don't want the marriage, he'll listen to you." Kai threw his head back, taking a deep in take before dropping his head to gaze at his sister. "I don't want to disappoint him, noona, Dad has never asked anything from me, he has always considered what I wanted, I keep demanding and he kept providing me whatever I asked for without complaining. This is the only thing he's ever asked of me, wouldn't I be selfish if he I throw it back at him?" He was angry yesterday. But now that he was able to think about it clearly, he felt he owed his Dad that much. The elder had been nothing but patient and loving towards him for all his life. There was a glint of proudness in Taeyeon's eyes as she stared at her brother with a smile. "When did you grow up?" She asked hand going to brush through her brother's hair. "I am so proud of you Nini, but no it won't be selfish, to refused this marriage. But first, meet the girl, get to know her a little if you still don't feel something for her then you shouldn't throw your life into this just to please our father. I know Dad wouldn't want you to end up being unhappy in your marital life especially how he knows you're coping with mom's absence." she pulled her hands back, dropping them on her lap."Or do you want to me to talk to Dad?" "No," Kai shook his head. "I will do as you say, I will meet Jennie and if I still couldn't feel something for her, I will tell Dad myself." She nodded and smiled before rising to her feet. "Alright! You do that Nini, now I am gonna go be with my husband." She told him. "And do take a bath, you stink" she grinned, patting his shoulder a few times. "See you at work tomorrow." "Thanks Noona, say hi to Jiyong hyung!" "I will" she waved making her way towards the exit.
Kai took the shower his body needed before flopping on his bed. As he slept, he dreamt about same man with a fish tail, swimming majestically in the deep blue sea, he tried to see his face but couldn't, the merman was swimming too fast.  And Kai followed him, but then he started drowning, he kicked his feet trying to break the surface but couldn't, he struggled and screamed underwater, which only resulted to more water entering his lungs. Then the merman turned and rushed towards him, but just when h was about to see his face Kai woke up abruptly, panting heavily. He glanced at his alarm clock, that's been going off and slapped a hand over it. "6:30 am." He noted making his way out of the of his bed. Jungkook was making breakfast when Kai walked into the kitchen. "Good morning!" He greeted taping a hand on Jungkook's shoulder. "Oh the prince is awake" Kai rolled his eyes moving to take his seat in the kitchen island. "What are we having for breakfast?" "Nuh-ah, I am not sharing" Jungkook turned to grin at his friend. "Oh c'mon!" Kai stood up. "Hey don't come any closer to my food you glutton, you should wake up early and make your own food" "Since when did you become a miser?" Jungkook just shrugged."since today." "You're gonna share that food whether you like it or not, or else I am gonna fire you" Jungkook instantly turned around to face Kai, gasping dramatically with a comical expression."You wouldn't!" "You wanna test that theory?" "No way, the food will be ready in a few minutes my Lord" he bowed exaggeratedly. Kai chuckled. "Am kidding Kook" "I know you are, I was kidding too when i said i won't share my food" They both grinned before Jungkook turned his attention back to his cooking.   **** It was a busy day in the office, Kai had missed yesterday, so there's load of paper work to be done. He had a coffee in his hand as he signed on some papers. His phone kept ringing, he groaned, pulling it out of his pocket. Kai put his coffee cup down and lifted the phone to his ear. “Hello?” “Hey, Kai. I’m sorry to call you at work, it’s Yoongi,” came the voice from the other end of the line. Kai felt his heart plummet. He couldn’t think of a good reason for Yoongi to be calling him. He tried to reassure himself that if something had happened to his family, Yoongi would have come to tell him in person. He wouldn’t have called. It didn’t make him feel any better. “What’s up?” he asked. “Well, Kai, I don’t really know how to explain this,” Yo